Gas supply device for a vacuum processing chamber, method of gas supplying and switching

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a gas supply device used in vacuum processing chambers, which comprises: a first gas source and a second gas source; a first gas switch in which its input is connected to the first gas source and its output can be switchably connected to the gas inlets of two vacuum processing chambers or two processing stations in one vacuum processing chamber; a second gas switch, in which its input is connected to the second gas source and its output can be switchably connected to the gas inlets of the two vacuum processing chambers or the two processing stations; a control device for controlling the switching of the first gas switch and the second gas switch, so as to make the first gas source and the second gas source complementarily switch between two vacuum processing chambers or two processing stations in one vacuum processing chamber. The present disclosure achieves complementary switching of reactant gases in at least two vacuum processing chambers, which achieves full use of reactant gases, saving the cost and improving work efficiency.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to process gas share and control used in semiconductor manufacturing process, more particularly to a gas supply device for application of rapidly switching process gas, and a method of the gas supplying and switching.BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY[0002]Bosch method, namely “Bosch” process, is a time division multiplexing (TDM) method used in etching silicon. In this process procedure, it alternatively performs deposition step and etching step. Every etching-deposition cycle constitutes a process cycle.[0003]At present, during the rapid gas switching type process procedure, such as Bosch method and Through Silicon Via (TSV) etching, the deposition process and the etching process are continuously and alternatively performed, so different reactant gases should be supplied into process module (PM) during different process steps, i.e. to achieve the rapid switching of the process gas in the process module, the process module can be vacuum process...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021]provided that the processing time of one of the vacuum processing chambers or stations is shorter than that of other vacuum processing chambers or stations, slow down the reaction speed of the vacuum processing chamber or the station which has shorter processing time so that the whole processing time required in all vacuum processing chambers or all stations are the same or substantially the same.

[0022]provided that the time required by the first process is longer than that of the second process, and when the second process is completed firstly, open the second valve, the second gas flows into the second gas collection unit and returns to the second gas source via the second gas collection; when the first process and the second process are both completed, close the second valve, and switch rapidly the first gas switch and the second gas switch so that the connection of the first gas source or the second gas source between the two vacuum processing chambers or the two processing stations is exchanged. The present invention provides a gas supply device for a vacuum processing chamber, and a method of gas supply and gas switching. In comparison with the current gas share and delivery technology which is used in the process of rapid gas switching type, the advantages are as follows: the semiconductor processing equipment which is disclosed in the present invention, is equipped with multi-way reactant gas sources and includes multiple vacuum processing chambers or multiple processing stations in one vacuum processing chamber; every reactant gas source is connected to all or some of the vacuum processing chambers or the processing stations in one vacuum processing chamber via the pipelines. The pipelines are equipped with gas switches, and the gas switches control the rapid switching of the connection of the reactant gas source with the vacuum processing chambers or the processing stations in one vacuum processing chamber according to the process requirements. When the reactant gas introduced into vacuum processing chambers or the processing stations in one vacuum processing chamber is switched, the reactant gas which is not needed currently can be introduced to other vacuum processing chambers or other processing stations in one vacuum processing chamber which need such reactant gas for process operation according to process requirements. By complementing and switching reactant gas source connected to the vacuum processing chambers or the processing stations in one vacuum processing chamber, achieve the full use of the delivered reactant gases, rather than directly discharge the temporarily unused reactant gases, saving the cost and improving the work efficiency.

Problems solved by technology

The disadvantage is that, to ensure normal operation of the process during entire process procedure, the process gas must be continuously delivered.

There is always one type of reactant gas to be directly discharged to the exhaust without performing any process during the process operation, which wastes large amount of processing gas and increases production cost.

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